Pubdate: Wed, 25 Dec 2013
Source: Seattle Times (WA)
Copyright: 2013 The Seattle Times Company
Contact:  http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/409
Author: Bob Young
Page: B1

POT BUSINESS APPLICATIONS SURPASS 3,000

State Rules May Weed Out Some

Numbers Not Final but Look Bullish

After a big surge over the last week, Washington state has now
received applications for 3,746 marijuana business licenses.

While some applicants are likely to be eliminated by residency
requirements, background checks and improper locations, Washington
state appears bullish about the legal marijuana business.

The 30-day window to apply for growing, processing and retail licenses
closed on Dec. 20. But data released Tuesday by the state Liquor
Control Board is not the final tally, as not all applications have
been processed.

Growers have applied for licenses in 38 of 39 counties, with only tiny
Garfield County (pop. 2,266 in 2010 census) not in the game.
Applications for retail stores in cities such as Seattle, Tacoma and
Vancouver far exceed the number of state-allocated retail shops
allocated to those cities.

In all, entrepreneurs have applied for 867 retail licenses. The state
allocated a total of 334 retail licenses.

Seattle would get just 21 retail shops under state rules. But
entrepreneurs have filed 145 retail applications for Seattle. Some of
those won't pan out, like the applicant who listed the Central
Library's address for a shop. Stores must be stand-alone businesses,
and no pot businesses can be within 1,000 feet of venues frequented by
youth, including libraries.

Still, Seattle will likely have more qualified retail applicants than
allotted stores. If that occurs, the state will conduct a lottery to
determine winners.

City Attorney Pete Holmes has urged state officials to allow more
stores in Seattle.

Other cities, including Tacoma and Vancouver, appear headed for retail
lotteries. Vancouver has 55 applications for six stores; Tacoma has 46
for eight.

Overall, producer or grower applications were the most popular with
1,670 applications. Processing was next with 1,209
applications.

There are no limits on the number of growers the state will license.
But the state plans to license 2 million square feet for farms - and
looks to have a glut of growers.

Growing licenses are divided into three tiers based on size, with the
smallest farms occupying a maximum of 2,000 square feet, and the
largest farms capped at 30,000 square feet.

If all applicants were approved and used their maximum licensed space
the state would have more than 25 million square feet of pot farms. If
all applicants hit the midpoint of what they're allowed, the total
square footage of licensed farms would be 12 million square feet.

If the state exceeds its 2 million square-foot goal, all growing
licenses would be reduced by proportionate amounts to reach that total.

The robust growing applications suggest the state's supply of weed
will meet projected demand in 2014.

State investigators plan to evaluate growing licenses first, so crops
can be started as soon as possible in hopes of supplying retail stores
by May.
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MAP posted-by: Matt